Adjustable counter-weight



H. C. JONES ADJUSTABLE COUNTER WEIGHT July 24, 1934.

Filed March 28 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l W 5a 57 4?;9' 20 g? a M INVENTOR Harrylfmwp July 24, 1934.

H. C. JONES ADJUSTABLE COUNTER WEIGHT Filed March 28, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

35 f4 15 15 v P 27 I u 36 /4; 57 15 T 17 T 16' If? Patented July 24, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE Harry 0. Jones,

Application March 28,

16 Claims.

5 a horizontalposition, or spacedly separated.

, One of the objectsof this invention is to provide a fixed stand onwhich is pivotably mounted a frame having a second, superposed frame so connected as to be retained in registration and provided with means for causing angular vertical separation.

A further feature is in the provision of a novel system of counter-weights for the upper frame, means for adjusting the counter-weight at various distances whereby an accurate balance may be obtained,and means for retaining the counter-weight in any desired adjustment.

A further purpose is to-produce means for increasing or decreasing the gravity effect of the counter-weight by the application of variables thereto.

A still further feature resides in the means for latching the frames together or to the stand.-

These and other important features are at- .25 tained by the novel and practical construction,

bodiment of the invention shown in closed position.

Figure'Z is a top plan view of the rear portion of a geared embodiment of the same.

Figure 3 is a partial side elevational view of the upper portion of a modified form of the device.

Figure 4 is a similar view showing a further modification of the same.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the upper portion of a different. type of the device.

Figure 6 is a similar view showing a modified form of clamping means. Figure 7 is a side elevational view showing the rear portion of the machine as provided with a modified. form of weight adjusting means.

7 tion of the frame.

The machine is shown 'as' consisting of two upright frames 10 composed of legs 11 arranged in opposed relationand connected by tie bolts 12.

A bed or platform 13 connects at the from] New York, N. Y.

1932, Serial No. 601,673

between the extended upper elements 14 of the frame. constituting a rigid stand. 7

Midway in the length of these upper elements, on their upper edges, are raised lugs 15 carrying pivots 16 engaged centrally in the side members of a rectangularframe 17 corresponding in dimensions to the top of the stand.

Attached to the rear member of the frame 17,

by hinges l8, is an upper frame 19, identical with the lower frame 17 over which it is normally disposed in close contact. Extending rigidly outward from the rear member of the upper frame 19, parallel-and in register with its sides, are extension bars 20-2 0 having bearings ill-21 at their ends in which are rotatably mounted shafts 22-22,reaching forwardly past the center of the frames and resting in bearings 23 attached to the frame sides. v

One of these shafts, preferablyon the right hand side of the machine, has fixed on its front end a bevel gear 24 meshed with a mating gear 25' rotatable on a stud 26 carried in a bracket attached to the upper frame 19, and operable by ahand-wheel 27, as best seen in Fig. 1.

The shaft 22 may be provided at its rear end, beyond the bearing 21, with a miter gear 28 meshed with a mating gear 29 fixed on a shaft 30 extending transversely between the rear ends of thegbars 20-20. In place of the gearing it will be apparent that a chain and sprockets may be used to connect these shafts.

The opposite end of the shaft 30 has fixed on it a mitergear 29 identical with but reversed to the gear 29, and meshed with a corresponding gear- 28' fixed on the rear extending end of the shaft 22, thus coupling the shafts 22-22'.

The rear portions of both these-shafts, extending contiguousto the bars 2020, are screwthreaded and engaged thereon are blocks 3030 provided with tenons slidable in grooves 31-31 formed in the outer sides of the bars.

Fixed to extend between the adjacent. sides of the blocks 3030' is a bar 32 on which may be engaged weights 33 provided with slots to suit the bar, thus affording means of increasing or decreasing the effect of the blocks 3030' as may be required. (See Fig. 2.) v

In order to retain the frames 17-19 in a horizontal position on the stand, a latch 35, provided with an operating handle 36, is pivoted at 37 on the under frame 17, the latch having a catch 38 to engage a pin 39 set in the frame whereby the lower frame may be secured to the stand. I

is moved downwardly, the lower frame 17 will be held level on the stand and the upper frame;

19 permitted to pivot on the hinges 18.

To adjust the counterbalancingweights, the hand-wheel 2'7 is turned, causing the shafts 2222 to rotate in unison, due to their geared connections, and by reason of the removable weights 33, a very considerable degree of counter-balancing is attainable and also such adjustment is retained by reason of the screw adjustment.

In Fig. 3, the shaft 22 is lengthened to extend past the front edge of the upper frame 19 and provided with a hand-wheel at its end, beyond the bearing 46 fixed on the upper frame A slide 47 is attached to the block 48, actuated by the screw-threaded portion of the shaft 22, the slide being guided by a groove 49 in the upper frame and carries a downwardly offset detent bar50 movable under a pin 51 set in the lower frame 17,:thus providing means to release the upper frame by actuation of the hand-wheel.

The block 48 may also be provided with removable weights 33', as shown.

The lower frame 17 also carries a pin 52 'engageable by a hook latch 53, pivoted on a pin 54 set in the stand 14, thus affording means for securing the lower frame to the stand.

In Fig. 4, the slide bar 47 is lengthened and provided with a reversed detent bar 50' engage able with a pin 51" set in the lower frame 1'7 nearer the pivot 16.

Figures 5 and 6 show a different form of stand 55 having an extended platform 56 and provided with rear extension bars, screw-shaft, bearings, hand-wheel and counter-weighting devices as previously described.

The stand sides have raised lugs 57 rearward of the center of their length, carrying pivot pins 58 'on which are mounted the lower frame 17.

In Fig. 5 a double latch is shown of the same description as used in Fig. 1, and in Fig. 6 separate latches 5960 are pivoted respectively on the stand and upper frame to engage pins 61-62 set in the lower frame.

a A pair of parallel spaced fixed guides 63 are secured in upright position on the outer sides. of the lower frame to receive between them slides 64 fixed centrally on the side members of the up.-

per frame 19' and carried near,the bottoms of these slides are rigid pins 65.

These fixed pins are contactable by angular arms 66 rigid with the extension bars 20 and upper frame, all of which are pivoted at 67 to the stand elements in Fig. 5 or, as shown in Fig. 6, to the lower frame at 67. v

. It will now be seen that, in Fig. 5, upon tilting of the frames on the pivots 6'7 both will be raised angularly, if locked by the latch 35, and also the upper frame raised from the lower frame of the latch will bemoved downwardly Similar results are possible to obtain in the structure shown in Fig. 6.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7, a bar '70 is guided in the side edge of the upper frame 19, the bar carrying at its outer end a rod '71 to which may be attached one or more weights 72.

This bar may be manually moved and is provided with perforations 73 to receive a pin entering acorresponding opening in the frame to retain the weight in adjustment.

Fig. 8 shows a bar 75 carried by the upper frame and'provided with a slot '76 in which is 'slidable a rod '77 carrying a weight 78 and also provided with a sprocket 79 the teeth of which engagethe upper run of a sprocket chain 80 trained over sprockets 81- -82 mounted on the ends of the extension bar 75, the sprocket 82 being provided with a handle 83 by which motion may be communicated to the chain and thus the weight adjusted as desired.

Although the improvements have been described with considerable detail and with respect to certain particular forms of the invention, it is not desired to be limited to such details since many changes and modifications may well be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspect.

Having'thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters- Patent, is:-

1.'In' a stand for supporting two substanits tially similar fiat frames, means for pivotally connecting the sides of the lower of said frames to the stand, hinges engaging said frames centrally thereon," a counter-weight for the upper frame, and means for mechanically adjusting said counter-weight and to retain it in adjustire for increasing and decreasing the ponderosity of said counter-weight.

3. In a stand for supporting a pair of superposed uniform flat frames, means for pivotally connecting the lower of said frames to the stand in a balanced condition, means for engaging the upper of said frames thereon, an adjustable counter-weight for the upper frame, and means for securing thelower frame to said stand.

4. In a stand for supporting fiat frames, means for pivotally connecting the lower of said frames to the stand, unitary means for selectively engaging the frames together and an adjustable counter-weight for the upper frame, and means for securing both of said frames to operate as .a unit by said counter-weight.

5. In a stand for 'supporting an upper and lower frame, pivotal connections between said stand and lower frame, hinged connections between said frames, extension bars on said upper frame, a screw shaft journalled in bearings carried by said upper frame and bars respectively, counter-weighting blocks engaged on said shaft, andmeans for-rotating the shaft.

6. In a stand for supporting an upper and lower frame, pivotal connectionspbetween said its stand and lower frame, hinged connections between said frames, extension bars on said upper frame, a pair of screw shafts journalled in bearings carried by said upper frame and extension bars, geared connections between said shafts thereby to operate in unison, manual means carried by said upper frame to actuate said shafts, blocks threaded on said shafts, a bar connecting said blocks, and a plurality of weights independently disposable on said connecting bar.

7. In a stand for supporting an upper and lower frame, pivotal connections between said stand and lower frame, hinged connections between said frames, extension bars on said upper frame, a screw shaft journalled in bearings carried by said upper frame and bars respectively, counter-weighting blocks engaged on said shaft, slides actuated by said blocks, said slides being guided by the upper frame, detent bars carried by said slides, and pins set in the lower frame to engage said detent bars to lock said frames together.

8. In a stand for supporting an upper and lower frame, pivotal connections between said stand and lower frame, hinged connections between said frames, extension bars on said upper frame, said bars being slidable and provided with a plurality of spaced springs, counter-balancing weights carried by the outer ends of said bars, and detent pins engageable through the bar openings with the frame sides.

9. In a stand for supporting an upper and lower frame, pivotal connections between said stand and lower frame, means for detachably engaging the upper frame to the lower frame, guides on the sides of said stand, slides fixed on said upper frame to operate in said guides, a screw shaft pivoted at the rear of said upper frame, a counter-weight actuated by said shaft, and means actuated by said shaft to engage said slides thereby to raise said upper frame from the lower frame.

10. In a stand for supporting an upper and lower frame, pivotal connections between said stand and lower frame, hinged connections between said frames, extension bars on said upper frame, said bars having elongated slots in their outer portions, a rod slidably guided at its ends in the slots to extend therebetween, weights carried by said rod, a sprocket on the extending end of the rod, other sprockets mounted on one of said bars beyond the ends of the mentioned slot, and a chain trained over the last named sprocket, the upper run of said chain engaging the rod carried sprocket whereby the rod and weight may be adjustably positioned.

11. In a stand for supporting two frames, respectively upper and lower, said lower frame being pivotally attached midway its length to the stand, counter-weighted means for separating said frames, means for shifting said counter- Weighted means, and means for detachably engaging said frames to swing as a unit on the pivotal attachment of the lower frame said means being also available to clamp the frames to said stand.

12. In a stand for a pair of frames, respectively upper and lower, pivotal connections between the sides of said stand and edges of the lower frame at its center, hinged connections between said frames at their end edges, extension bars on the upper frame, a screw shaft mounted in bearings carried by said upper frame and its extension, counterweights for said frame adjustable by said bar, a slidable detent on the upper frame, and a pin set in said stand engageable by said detent.

13. In a stand for supporting two frames, respectively upper and lower, pivots attaching the lower frame to said stand, hinges connecting the frame, a counterweight for said frames having screw adjustment, a detent slidable on the upper ofsaid frames, a pin setin the lower frame to engage said detent, a second pin in the lower frame, and a catch pivoted on said stand to engage said second pin.

l L'In a stand for supporting two frames, respectively upper and lower, said lower frame being pivotally attached to the stand, vertical guides on the sides of said stand, slides fixed on the upper frame to operate in said guides, pins fixed in said slides, and screw actuated angular arms slidable on said stand to engage said pins thereby to raise the upper frame in a plane parallel to the lower frame.

15. In a stand for supporting two frames, respectively upper and lower, said lower frame being pivotally attached to the stand, vertical guides on the sides of said stand, slides fixed on the upper frame to operate in said guides, pins fixed in said slides, screw actuated angular arms slidable on said stand to engage said pins thereby to raise the upper frame in a plane parallel to the lower frame, registering pins set in the edges of said upper frame and said stand, and unitary catches pivoted to the sides of the lower frame to selectively engage the pins in the upper frame or the pins in said stand.

16. In a stand for supporting two frames, respectively upper and lower, said lower frame being pivotally attached to the stand, vertical guides on the sides of said stand, slides fixed on the upper frame to operate in said guides, pins fixed in said slides, screw actuated angular arms slidable horizontally at the sides of said lower frame to engage the pins carried by said slides, means for clamping said frames together, and means to clamp the lower frame to said stand.

HARRY C. JONES. 

